Kuwait Times

06/08/2025

End of era as Beirut renames Assad Avenue after late music legend Ziad Rahbani

Lebanon has decided to rebaptize a thoroughfare named after former Syrian president Hafez al-Assad in favour of late Lebanese musician and playwright Ziad Rahb...

06/08/2025

The United States is rushing to put nuclear power reactors on the Moon and Mars, and hopes to launch the first system on the lunar surface by the end of the decade as it seeks to outrace China and Russia in this field

“Since March 2024, China and Russia have announced on at least three occasions a joint effort to place a reactor on the Moon by the mid-2030s,” says a new NASA directive that calls for the appointment of a nuclear power czar to select two commercial proposals within six months. “The first country to do so could potentially declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States from establishing a planned Artemis presence if not there first.”

Since 2000, NASA has invested $200 million towards developing small, lightweight fission power systems, though none have progressed towards flight readiness, according to the directive. Unlike solar power, fission systems can operate around the clock - invaluable during the weeks-long lunar nights or Martian dust storms.

06/08/2025

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian goods over New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil. The tariff, set to take effect in three weeks, comes on top of a separate 25 percent duty entering into force on Thursday, according to the text of the executive order released by the White House.

India’s national security adviser was in Moscow on Wednesday, media in New Delhi reported, coinciding with a visit by US envoy Steve Witkoff. India’s foreign ministry earlier said US pressure to stop it buying Russian oil was “unjustified and unreasonable” and that it would protect its interests.

06/08/2025

The Public Authority for Civil Identification (PACI) on Wednesday urged people using the Kuwait Mobile ID smartphone application to only authorize transactions that they initiated personally. Users must review data provided by service providers before authorizing any transaction to prevent data breaches and help ensure the security of their information, PACI added in a statement.

06/08/2025

The head of Syria’s investment authority, Talal Al-Hilali, announced 12 projects worth $14 billion on Wednesday, including $4 billion for a new airport and $2 billion for a metro system for the capital, Damascus.

06/08/2025

Hezbollah said Wednesday that it would treat the Lebanese government’s decision a day earlier to disarm it “as if it did not exist,” accusing the cabinet of committing a “grave sin”.

“Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government committed a grave sin by taking the decision to disarm Lebanon of its weapons to resist the Israeli enemy,” the group said in a statement.

“This decision undermines Lebanon’s sovereignty and gives Israel a free hand to tamper with its security, geography, politics and future existence. Therefore, we will treat this decision as if it does not exist”.

06/08/2025

The Ministry of Social Affairs announced on Wednesday the conclusion of the emergency relief campaign to support the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, with total donations of KD 6,546,078 (approximately $21.4 million).

The amount includes 2,515,795 collected through the online fundraiser, in addition to KD 500,000 donated by the Awqaf Secretariat General, KD 1.5 million by the Insan Charity Society, KD 1,318,854 by the Direct Aid Society, KD 476,012 by the Patients Helping Fund and KD 235,443 by the Revival of the Islamic Heritage Society.

06/08/2025

Natural disasters caused $135 billion in economic losses in the first half of the year, a rise from the same period in 2024, reinsurer Swiss Re said Wednesday.

Severe thunderstorms in the United States and the Los Angeles wildfires left $80 billion in insured losses in the first six months of 2025, compared to $62 billion in the first half of 2024.

06/08/2025

South Korea will offer visa-free entry to tourist groups from China, for a temporary period from September 29 through June 2026, to boost foreign tourism ahead of an Asia-Pacific summit, the government said on Wednesday.

The visa-free offer was first announced in March after China’s decision last November to offer a visa exemption to South Koreans and foreign visitors from other countries.

It also comes amid expectations that ties between the two countries will improve under the new South Korean administration of liberal President Lee Jae Myung.

06/08/2025

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05/08/2025

US President Donald Trump declined to say whether he supported or opposed a potential full occupation of Gaza by Israel and said his administration's focus was on increasing food access to the Palestinian enclave under assault from Washington's ally.

"As far as the rest of it, I really can't say. That's going to be pretty much up to Israel," Trump told reporters on Tuesday. Benjamin Netanyahu met senior security officials on Tuesday, with media reporting he favored a complete military takeover of Gaza.